Suburban Chicago Destinations: Icing on the Cake

My grandparents lived at a time when the "country" began within a 20-minute drive of downtown Chicago. Cows roamed among the neat rows of corn behind their home. Little towns with a special charm and character of their own dotted the vast waving sea of corn and prairie grass that marched in all directions from the Great Lake Michigan. Tall church steeples rose above the towns ringing the angeleas to those who worked the land as well as those in the mom&pop places where locals took time to share their day with neighbors they loved (and those they loved to talk about!)

Today, the "country" begins 70-90 minutes from downtown. Those special towns have all melted into each other like a crazy patchwork quilt. Some places are stately like the Northwestern University Campus in Evanston and the regal B'ahai temple close by. Others are reminiscent of places in Europe, like Lake Forest with its tudor charm, or Victorian Woodstock's cobblestone streets and gazebo square straight out of Americana. In between the towns are protected parks such as the Morton ( as in salt) Arboretum in Lisle, fabulous zoos such as Brookfield, and forestlands that have been protected in public domain.

Quick Tips:

Head North to Glencoe Beach, The Illinois Sand Dunes in Zion, or the Ravinia Music theater for a summer evening picnic and live music. Head West to Wheaton and the Robert McCormick mansion and ww1 museum called Cantigny or a little further to Starved Rock State Park with the cliff and Ravine hikes past splashing waterfalls. Head South around the Lake to the Indian Sand Dunes or into Amish Country in Indiana. But if you head East...you'd better be swimming or in a boat!

If you drive in the other directions, remember the rules of " rush hourrrrssss" in the area. It is best to avoid driving from 6:00a.m. -9:00a.m. and 3:00p.m.until 6:30p.m., Monday thru Friday.

Best Way To Get Around:

You could use a combination of the train (called Metra ) and bus transportation ( called PACE in the suburbs) to reach all of these destinations. For more flexible traveling, especially if you decide to hit more than one of the sites I'll refer too, a car would be easier. When you travel, check am radio780 that announces travel times 6 times an hour around the clock. You'll hear them call out info about:

LSD- may be a drug elsewhere, but in Chicago it stands for Lake Shore Drive. The Merge- where I-90/94 joins with the Edens heading into the city is sometimes called "the Junction" as well.

The Kennedy ( I-90/94) has express lanes in the far left side that allow minimal exits between the Illinois toll roads and downtown. These are reversible, to empty or fill the city quicker(I think!)

Once you reach the tollbooths, the far left lanes are for electronic IPASS users only, so watch the signs and don't get stuck there. Most tolls are .40 with a few at .50 or .75.

The Gardens are located 25 miles North of downtown Chicago on 385 mega acres of land with 75 lagoons and nine islands! It is open almost every day, even in winter, from 8 a.m. until sunset. There are special events,like the Monday night bell choir in summer where they have extended hours. Entrance is FREE, but parking fees are $7.75 a car ($ 5.75 for seniors). How many people can you pack into the car ??

There are a little over 23 sculpted and prepared gardens for you to enjoy, and all of them are vastly different from each other. Winding paths meander all over to allow you to just wander and enjoy the beauty all day long! There's a tram ride that I recommend you take first for an hour long overview and a little more information about the collection as well as the current Garden extension plans. ( It's a growing project!) The driver will point out some of the most unusual plants or trees along the route. It leaves from the entrance every hour from 10:00-3:00 and will cost about $ 4.00 for adults.

Many people will stop in the Garden Cafe near the entrance to pick-up a picnic lunch or dinner that you can take with to find your favorite spiritual spot to enjoy your refreshments. You can also grab breakfast or lunch right there at the cafe where you can sit out on the patio in warm weather right above a little lagoon.

Want to know my favorites? Sorry, it's a long list! I love the aquatic garden,the Japanese Garden with the tea house and the carefully worked and sculpted plant material, the waterfall garden with the combination of rocks, splashing water and plants, the Heritage garden with the display of plants used medicinally throughout the ages, the prairie garden showing what the midwest really looked like eons ago, the research garden where different plants are being studied by the staff for introduction to the midwest(the new and upcoming stars), the Wildflower garden with the bronze sculpted butterfly fills my vision with color like a Monet painting,and the miniature evergreen collection placed by a friend of mine who has one of the worlds largest collections of rare evergreens. This all leads up to my all time #1 place of spiritual peace....a place that taps into my " Jane Eyre" sense of self....and that is the English walled garden. It's a secret garden, indeed!

Before you leave, check-out the Master Gardeners plant information booth ( or you can call them at any time) for help in choosing plant material, for information about any possible plant growing, and for help with sick plants that you have in your own garden. I can't tell you how many times I have called them for their expert help and advice!

Located 14 miles West of downtown, this zoo is open almost every day of the year from 10:00-5:00. There are extended hours for special events such as the " Evenings in the Wild" in summer, and the " Holiday Magic."

Currently, the seven seas seascape with the sea lions will be closed for renovations ( as of winter 2001), so keep checking for updates on that one. The zoo is located on 216 acres of wandering paths ( mostly flat and easy for wheelchair access or strollers) that will take you around the world with collections from Asia, Africa,North America, Australia as well as special houses for animals of the dark ( gotta love those bats!) and the reptile house with those creepy snakes.

Be sure to have your comfy walking shoes on because this is a day long adventure! There is a Motor Safari ride that is worth the few dollars to ride roundtrip around the zoo. the tram stops at four locations spread across the zoo, so you can get on and off as you desire or you can take it roundtrip for an uninterrupted narrated tour.

My favorite areas are : the bear ghrotto featuring bears from around the world, (There is nothing like the antics of these fellows!)the Wolf Habitat is very interesting showing the complex behavior and intelligence of these endangered animals, and the Seven Seas Dolphinarium for the dolphin show. The zoo has several cafeteria style restaurants spread all around, or you can bring in your own picnic foods.

(* the other zoo is Lincoln Park zoo which is smaller, free, and located closer to downtown. They do a mighty fine job too....with the Ape house being my favorite spot.)

This park is located 45 minutes North of Chicago. Take I-94 north (sign will say West just to confuse the heck out of visitors!) to Grand Ave., which is Rt. 132.

Discount coupons are often offered by Jewel food stores, at McDonalds, and local entertainment bookstores. The park also offers a " twicket" program where you can come back the next day for $ 5.00.

The park opens around 10:00a.m. and closes at 10:00p.m. My kids are old enough that we usually stay most of those hours and we certainly get our fill of the new generation thrill rides! We had a Rotary exchange student from Norway who rated this park as "the best place in Chicago!" (from a 16 year-olds viewpoint!) We are talking about 8 mega adrenalin roller coasters including the RAGING BULL that drops you 200 ft. at a speed of 73 M.P.H.! You can stand on the Iron Wolf coaster, hang with your feet free on the Batman ride while the rest of them will twist, turn, plunge, and scream your body into a pretzel shape! Sound like fun?

I like the water plume rides the best.... the logs and the roaring rapids....which is a great way to cool off in the hot summers Chicago often gets.

For the non-riders of the group, there is plenty to do. The park is divided into several lands, such as the County Fair, the Yukon Territory, and Yankee harbor. Every " land" has live entertainment, shops, food, and rides for the fainter of heart or the shorter of stature. I'd like to point out the double decker marry-go-round at the entrance and the special kids land where you have to be UNDER 43 inches and 10 years of age to enjoy many activities such as the bouncing moon walks, the ball pens, and the climbing fortress. In between all of this, dressed up Looney Tune characters entertain everyone with their antics and pose for pictures.... even with my grandmother...who was not a tame women as she rode the roller coasters into her early 70's! To help save on costs, you can pack a picnic lunch and keep the cooler in your car and get it later, or there are lockers to your left as you enter the park. Be sure to have several things with you during the day:

sunscreen and a change of clothing ( we usually wear our bathing suits with shorts to ride the water rides, and change to warmer clothing as the sun sets. A light jacket is often needed even in summer at night.) Water bottles on a hot day are a good idea too.... repetitive drinks can break the bank if you have to keep buying them!

My favorite place to eat? At the south end of the park, just below the air tram ride, is the hot waffle house that serves freshly made waffles filled with ice cream and a variety of toppings.

Chicago is famous for it's fickle weather and Woodfield Mega-mall, located 30 miles from downtown, with it's 300 stores under one roof and three levels of shopping just might save your day. For those of you who are power shoppers, this will be an orgasmic event featuring those high quality key stores like Nordstroms, Lord and Taylor, and Marshall Fields. Then there are the currently hip stores like Gap, Eddie Bauer, Aeropostle, and Guess.(My daughter gets that glassy-eyed look whenever we come here!). How about those specialty stores like Jessica McClintock formal wear, Swarovski crystal, and the Rand McNally Travel store? My favorite stores to just wander around are the Discovery Channel Store and the WTTW Store of Knowledge. For the tourists, there is a " Chicago" store too.

As a tourist, I would probably eat at one of the themed restaurants in the mall....the rainforest cafe or Mars 2112.

(opposite ends of the timeline?) The Rainforest Cafe is designed to make you feel as if you have entered the jungle with the canopy above you that has intermittent lightning and rainstorms. Saltwater fish tanks are all over the place with exotic species to watch. Animated animals such as apes and elephants are anchored into the brush, and occasionally roll their eyes and change position! The food is designed with Jungle names and an ecology theme continues. I just love the Portobello mushroom sandwich...it is quite tasty, and the salads are a good bet for the dollar. My daughter says that they make a mean fruit smoothie. Talking about the dollar, you may pay a little more to eat here, but you are paying for the entertainment value of the place.

The next themed restaurant is Mars 2112. You enter thru the gift shop and turn left to take the virtual space ride (at this time a tame affair aimed at all ages.) or turn right to enter the time machine walk made to simulate your passage from Earth to Mars. You will enter a red-rocky place with lights shaped like hot meteors suspended from the ceiling and a really cool laser show overhead. There is an intergalactic game room to keep the attention of all while you are waiting for your meal. The kids menu features 7 entries priced at $ 5.95, while the adult menu ranges from $7.00-$20.00. I haven't eaten here yet, but the Martian Mama's Chicken breast---mango and wild mushroom stuffed chicken breast with tomato basil cream sauce over coconut basmati rice sounds interesting. There are sandwiches and salads too and a full service bar is to your right as you enter.

I'll be honest in saying that I'll go to these places if we have out of town guests but on average you can find us grazing at the 62 item salad bar at John's Garage or across the hall at Vie De France Bakery and Cafe. For more info about Woodfield, they have a toll free number at 800-332-1537.

This is a living outdoor history museum on 13 acres about 30 miles West of Chicago along the I-88 corridor.

Winter hours are: November thru March

10:00-4:00 Tues thru Fri.

Only the village exteriors are open

Spring and Summer hours are: April thru Oct.

10:00-4:00 Tues. thru Sat.

1:00-4:00 Sunday

July and August have Thurs. extended hour to 8p.m.

The museum is centered around the 1883 Martin-Mitchell house which is undergoing some restoration work currently. The museum is careful to allow various parts of the home to be open even with construction occurring. The era that this museum seems to target are the years in Illinois history from 1830-1880 as you explore life in a small farm community. Visit the Blacksmiths shop, the Chapel, or the Tavern and be entertained and educated by the volunteer interpreters in period costume doing things and living their day as it would have been done long ago. It's good for all of us to see how to cook on a wood stove, how to make soap over an open fire, or to see that candles were made at home not bought from Walmart! The interpreters will really make your visit special with their stories as they try to pull you back into time. It's really fun to watch them teach the kids games that would have been played long before Pac-man and TV.!